FLOOD MITIGATION OBSERVATIONS AND LESSONS FROM A FLOOD IN THE SMITH FIELDHOUSE

FLOOD MITIGATIONFLOOD MITIGATIONOBSERVATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS AND

LESSONS FROM A FLOOD IN LESSONS FROM A FLOOD IN THE SMITH FIELDHOUSETHE SMITH FIELDHOUSE

BRIGHAM YOUNG BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY

AUGUST 2006AUGUST 2006

I want to talk to you about I want to talk to you about what I think are five key what I think are five key

elements of flood mitigation.elements of flood mitigation.

NotificationNotification Response/Mobilization Response/Mobilization Clean up Clean up Restoration/ReconstructionRestoration/Reconstruction EvaluationEvaluation

1. Notification1. NotificationWho and how fastWho and how fast

- Electronic Alarm notification to - Electronic Alarm notification to University PoliceUniversity Police

-University Police assessment -University Police assessment -Police notify appropriate on call -Police notify appropriate on call

person and Risk Managementperson and Risk Management -On call specialists can handle their -On call specialists can handle their

areas well but you need a good areas well but you need a good mechanism to alert upper level mechanism to alert upper level management in major eventsmanagement in major events

Notification Strengths Notification Strengths

-Risk management informed early-Risk management informed early -Risk management informed upper -Risk management informed upper

level management earlylevel management early -Good cell phone communication -Good cell phone communication

Notification WeaknessesNotification Weaknesses

-College notification-College notification -Cell phone batteries-Cell phone batteries -Notification process took too long-Notification process took too long

2.Response/ Mobilization2.Response/ MobilizationIncident commandIncident command

-Select an incident command person -Select an incident command person who can delegate responsibilities and who can delegate responsibilities and stay put.stay put.

Don’t assign a “hands on” person this Don’t assign a “hands on” person this responsibility. Glen Johns our Risk responsibility. Glen Johns our Risk Management and safety director was on Management and safety director was on call and served as incident commander.call and served as incident commander.

Have the incident command decision Have the incident command decision made now before the incident occurs.made now before the incident occurs.

2. Response/Mobilization2. Response/MobilizationInitial safety assessmentInitial safety assessment

-Glen Johns and safety office staff-Glen Johns and safety office staff -Electrocution hazard assessed and -Electrocution hazard assessed and

mitigatedmitigated

2. Response/Mobilization2. Response/MobilizationReportingReporting

Make sure you have a good Make sure you have a good mechanism for your own line mechanism for your own line reporting. “Keep your boss reporting. “Keep your boss informed.”informed.”

Incident command only reports Incident command only reports through their linethrough their line

Response/Mobilization Response/Mobilization strengthsstrengths

-Handled quickly-Handled quickly -Had good incident commander -Had good incident commander

availableavailable

Response/Mobilization Response/Mobilization weaknessesweaknesses

-Some cleanup was occurring before -Some cleanup was occurring before safety assessment was completesafety assessment was complete

Some of my own line reporting was Some of my own line reporting was slow.slow.

3. Cleanup3. CleanupDelegate assignmentsDelegate assignments

-In our case Glen Johns -In our case Glen Johns our Risk Management our Risk Management director delegateddirector delegated

-Buildings/Water clean -Buildings/Water clean upup

-Electrical/ Utilities -Electrical/ Utilities service service

-Food-Food -Media relations-Media relations -Campus academic -Campus academic

communicationcommunication

3. Cleanup3. CleanupPumping problems/ Pumping problems/ Capacity, Lift, ReachCapacity, Lift, Reach

-Electric and -Electric and mechanical service mechanical service could not be could not be addressed until water addressed until water was cleared out.was cleared out.

-With water flooding -With water flooding basement areas and basement areas and filling mechanical filling mechanical rooms water rooms water pumping became a pumping became a major issue. major issue.


Gas powered pumps Gas powered pumps with limited lift with limited lift presented two presented two problems.problems.

Pumps had good volume Pumps had good volume capacity but limited lift capacity but limited lift and limited hose reachand limited hose reach

If pumps were placed in If pumps were placed in buildings near water buildings near water sources carbon sources carbon monoxide became a monoxide became a problem.problem.

-We had four large 2 -We had four large 2 and 3 inch discharge and 3 inch discharge pumps in place and pumps in place and made no headway.made no headway.


-We called in Provo -We called in Provo City and they City and they supplied a 6 inch supplied a 6 inch diesel powered diesel powered pump. With our pump. With our grounds division grounds division diesel powered diesel powered sewer truck and sewer truck and Provo City’s pump Provo City’s pump we began to make we began to make headway headway

3. Cleanup3. CleanupWater shutoff problemsWater shutoff problems

-Water break was in a loop fed from 2 -Water break was in a loop fed from 2 directions identifying and turning off directions identifying and turning off water was a process that took too long.water was a process that took too long.

-One of the shut off valves was allowed to -One of the shut off valves was allowed to be placed in the flooded basement be placed in the flooded basement mechanical room.mechanical room.

-Other remote field water line valves were -Other remote field water line valves were hard to locatehard to locate

-Break was in a water loop so it had to be -Break was in a water loop so it had to be shut off from two directionsshut off from two directions

3. Cleanup3. CleanupUtilitiesUtilities

-The major -The major mechanical rooms mechanical rooms and electrical and electrical rooms were under rooms were under 10 feet of water10 feet of water


-Switchgear and -Switchgear and transformers were transformers were damaged beyond damaged beyond repair and had to repair and had to be replaced.be replaced.

-Parts were 3 to 5 -Parts were 3 to 5 days outdays out


-Emergency power -Emergency power switchgear was switchgear was inoperableinoperable

3. Cleanup3. CleanupDrying outDrying out

-A large wood playing floor had some -A large wood playing floor had some water underneath it and needed water underneath it and needed heavy air flow to save itheavy air flow to save it

-Power availability to run drying fans -Power availability to run drying fans became a problembecame a problem

-We had to evaluate our resource for -We had to evaluate our resource for drying out after the water was drying out after the water was stopped and pumped out.stopped and pumped out.

We did not have de-humidifiersWe did not have de-humidifiers

3. Cleanup3. CleanupContract helpContract help

3. Cleanup3. CleanupContract helpContract help

-Don’t be a hero call in available help. We used “Utah -Don’t be a hero call in available help. We used “Utah Disaster Cleanup”. Their resource for fans and the power Disaster Cleanup”. Their resource for fans and the power to run them was great. to run them was great.

-We have a lot of equipment here on campus. All totaled -We have a lot of equipment here on campus. All totaled we have around 100 floor fans for use around campus. we have around 100 floor fans for use around campus. That sounds good but a big clean up contractor will have That sounds good but a big clean up contractor will have the following;the following;

1000 floor fans1000 floor fans Generators and extension cords to run all of themGenerators and extension cords to run all of them 25 Air dryers25 Air dryers Additional manpower with the ability to work around the Additional manpower with the ability to work around the

clock. clock. Make sure you have a single contract source for work Make sure you have a single contract source for work

performedperformed Specialized equipment for computer repair and file Specialized equipment for computer repair and file

retrieval.retrieval. Well worth the expenditureWell worth the expenditure

3. Cleanup3. CleanupStrengthsStrengths

Good delegationGood delegation TeamworkTeamwork Incident command handled other Incident command handled other

problems that allowed non problems that allowed non distracted cleanupdistracted cleanup

CleanupCleanupWeaknessesWeaknesses

Failure to establish good contact Failure to establish good contact point with contract helppoint with contract help

Contract help not communicating Contract help not communicating contact information at shift changecontact information at shift change

4. 4. Restoration/ReconstructionRestoration/Reconstruction

MoldMold -Keep air moving -Keep air moving

until crawl spaces until crawl spaces are completely dry.are completely dry.

-Remove water -Remove water traps where air traps where air can’t circulate.can’t circulate.

-Remove soaked -Remove soaked gypsum board. gypsum board.


MoldMold -Wall covering will -Wall covering will

shrink and cannot shrink and cannot be re-gluedbe re-glued

-Carpet extract -Carpet extract or remove.or remove.

-Measure moisture -Measure moisture content do not content do not assumeassume


OdorOdor -Eliminate don’t mask-Eliminate don’t mask -We are still circulating air in some -We are still circulating air in some

dirt floor crawl space areas.dirt floor crawl space areas.


Furniture and electronic Furniture and electronic equipmentequipment -Replace soaked -Replace soaked

upholstered upholstered furniturefurniture

-Computers were -Computers were sent to contract sent to contract water damage water damage company and company and saved about 75%saved about 75%


New ConstructionNew Construction -Complete -Complete

demolition, haul off demolition, haul off and dry out to and dry out to protect from mold protect from mold sporesspores


Strengths Strengths Had in house labor available for Had in house labor available for

immediate responseimmediate response Did not have a long delay for plans Did not have a long delay for plans

and specificationsand specifications


WeaknessesWeaknesses Still some odor in Still some odor in

dirt floor crawl dirt floor crawl spacesspaces

Some carpet has Some carpet has gone bad long gone bad long after flood. We after flood. We should have should have replaced replaced

5. Evaluation5. EvaluationPost incident meetingPost incident meeting

Large or small discuss your process Large or small discuss your process with all involvedwith all involved

Include occupants, managers, risk Include occupants, managers, risk management, front line workers in management, front line workers in your assessmentyour assessment

Do it with in 60 days of incidentDo it with in 60 days of incident


Evaluate the causeEvaluate the cause


Evaluate future Evaluate future problemsproblems

I hope your waterfall I hope your waterfall experiences in the future experiences in the future

look like thislook like this

Not this

FLOOD MITIGATION OBSERVATIONS AND LESSONS FROM A FLOOD IN THE SMITH FIELDHOUSE

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